Monthly Archives: June 2011

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Park Hyatt Chicago’s complimentary bicycle program returns! Summer is officially here and there is no better way to spend time in the gorgeous Chicago weather, exploring the city, while getting a little exercise at the same time.

We have added two brand new city commuter bicycles by Jamis to our collection, which have been customized for Park Hyatt based on our guests’ needs. Each bicycle is fully equipped with a lock, helmet, light, travel bag, water and city map.

This service is exclusive to Park Hyatt Chicago’s guests. Hours of operation are daily from 7:00am – 9:00pm. Use of the bicycles is limited to 3 hours per day and reservations are strongly recommended due to high demand.

For more information and reservations please contact our Concierge Desk at (312) 239 – 4051 or by email concierge.chiph@hyatt.com.

Just a few blocks away, the mood and decor has also been revamped inside the Park Hyatt Chicago Hotel. NoMI still has the killer view of the Water Tower from seven floors above ground, but gone are the tablecloths and fine china, and there’s a new name: NoMI Kitchen.

“We wanted to create more of a casual atmosphere, and lowering the prices is certainly gonna help that situation,” said Ryan LaRoche, the chef at NoMI Kitchen.

Begin with summery pea soup, bumped up with cream and a chiffonade of finely-chopped mint or a hearty chicken Panini. Bearnaise aioli-slathered bread is stacked with Nueske’s bacon, gouda cheese, lettuce and tomato.

“It’s simple but something that you want to eat during the day, during the summertime it’s a great lunch sandwich,” LaRoche said.

Dinner offers entrees like simply grilled steak with a choice of seasonal sides; the sumptuous garden patio also features a redesigned bar area and the menu inside the bar/lounge has lighter dishes like open-faced sandwiches with feta, roasted garlic and marinated olives.

“The fine dining dollar has changed so much and the old NoMI was a great concept but the new NoMI is more conducive to the return maybe once or twice a month – three times a month – however many times you’d like, and on your birthday and on your anniversary,” said LaRoche.

Creative desserts at the new NoMI Kitchen

But the truth about this dish, crafted by Meg Galus, the new pastry chef at the newly revamped NoMI Kitchen, is this: It’s a peanut butter and jelly sandwich dressed in a seemly disguise.

Galus’ dessert is the classic combination at its most sophisticated, with crushed peanut toffee, fresh Klug Farm strawberries and strawberry sorbet, tufts of vanilla sponge cake, and candied peanuts. A curl of strawberry purée, dried until translucent and crisp, crowns the composition ($9).

Her rhubarb soup (pictured; $9) is doubly refreshing, both as a light, vibrant finish to a meal and as a welcome alternative to the fruit’s most common treatment, in which it’s roasted into sugary oblivion. Silky ginger-lemon marshmallows bob in the fuchsia consommé, a long-simmered, vanilla-scented rhubarb broth.

Galus, who worked at Tru and Café des Architectes, is adept at pleasing the masses, and her five desserts are accompanied by a daily selection of simple tarts ($10)–recently blueberry-lemon-hazelnut, strawberry-yuzu and chocolate-espresso.

All are well-matched by the superb tea list, featuring one of the biggest selections of Rare Tea Cellar teas in the city, including our go-to, a delicate magnolia-blossom oolong ($6).

The acclaimed restaurant rebounds from a five-month redesign.

The Gold Coast delight NoMI recently re-opened after five-months of remodeling. The restaurant, along with the rest of the seventh floor of the Park Hyatt Chicago, has evolved to provide a full-circle experience for diners and hotel guests. The revamp revealed a new NoMi that’s warmer, more inviting and downright homey, with lavish touches here and there. The kitchen is now open and the white tablecloths have been replaced with leather accented wooden tables sat atop a restored mosaic tile floor. The extensive wine cellar now seats private parties of up to 12 and includes more than 5,000 bottles of wine and a newly added cheese cave. The raw bar also has an intimate and de rigueur chef’s table. A sea of neutral hues pronounced by pops of color are sure to delight the crowds that will flock back to this Gold Coast favorite. Park Hyatt Chicago, 800 N. Michigan Ave.

Sunday brunch is returning to NoMI and we cannot wait to start serving our Sunday’s best! Our new brunch features a gourmet buffet filled with a collection of fresh oysters and seasonal shellfish along with local cheeses and artisian cured meats, small plates and of course, an array of tantalizing desserts.

Naturally, you think of mimosas for brunch, so why not try our NoMI Mosa? The concoction of sparkling wine, strawberry liqueur, and orange juice is the perfect touch to complement a delicious meal. If you’re not in the mood for OJ, then try the Peruvian Morning- a refreshing mixture of Tabernero Pisco Italia, Pineapple, and Lime.

It’s hard to find the perfect Father’s Day Gift, so why not get him something that entails everything he loves: aged scotch, fine food, novelty neckwear and a night on the town. This Father’s Day, present your father with an invitation to an event at the newly renovated NoMI Kitchen. At Scotch & Bow Ties, fathers will enjoy tastes of various Glenmorangie scotches paired with bites from award-winning Chef Ryan LaRoche. A bow tie butler from Ralph Lauren will also be in attendance to teach dapper gentlemen how to properly tie a bow tie. A percentage of the proceeds will go to charity beneficiary, Boys & Girls Club of America’s “Passport to Manhood” program.

The event will take place on Friday, June 24 – the week after Father’s Day. Email Lynne Bredfeldt at lynne.bredfeldt@hyatt.com your RSVP and we will send you a formal invitation for you to present to your father on Father’s Day!

About the Passport to Manhood program: Boy’s & Girls Club of Chicago’s Passport to Manhood consists of 14 sessions, each concentrating on a specific aspect of character and manhood through highly interactive activities. Each Club participant receives his own “passport” to underscore the notion that he is on a personal journey of maturation and growth. The program includes a service project where boys learn the importance of giving back to the community. Passport to Manhood represents a targeted effort to engage young boys in discussions and activities that reinforce character, leadership and positive behavior.

With new restaurant comes a new pastry chef! Get to know Meg better. Here is her interview with Chicago Magazine’s Dish.

Dish:How did NoMI Kitchen lure you away from Café des Architectes?Meg Galus:The executive chef, Ryan [LaRoche], the chef de cuisine, Sean Pharr, and I all worked together at Truback in the day.

D:Is NoMI Kitchen’s dessert menu from your repertoire, or is it brand-new?MG:The whole dessert menu is brand-new. Ryan had some ideas, and we had a conversation about that and about what I was thinking. We are a team with a shared history, so it’s easier to have that conversation because we have common reference points.

D:What are some of the new desserts?MG:One of my favorite dishes is a rhubarb soup, served with lemon chiboust, lemon-lime gel, and a ginger marshmallow. It’s just really fresh and light. I don’t generally like desserts to be too heavy. I do have some rich desserts. One of them is baked chocolate mousse served with caramelized cocoa nibs and a warm chocolate sauce. It’s the chocolate lover’s chocolate dessert.

D:Do you ever dream of opening your own pastry shop?MG:I really thrive when I’m on a team. Sometimes I think all I want is a little macaron shop for the rest of my life, but I love the conversations, and everyone here is so talented, passionate, and smart.